Line holder



March 1929- A. HOFBAUER 1, 5, 3

LINE HOLDER Filed July 28, 1927 Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED stares ANTHONY HOFIBAUER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LINE HOLDER.

Application filed July 28,

vide a device of this kind which may be attached to a clothes pole orother object atm elevated point and through which is passed a clothesline to be stretched, also whereinprovisionis made for automaticallyclamping or holding the clothes lineafter being drawn taut so as to makeit unnecessary to wind, tie or otherwise fasten the clothes line to thepole or other object at such point. With the above and other objects toappear hereinafter, my invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to behereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the subjoinedclaims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two clothes poles,between which aclothes line is stretched and held taut by means of my improved lineholder.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the device, the holding memberthereof being partlyshown in elevation Fig. 3 is a transverse sectiontaken on line Fig. 4 is atop plan or edge view of the device.

In the drawings, the numeral 5 designates two spaced clothes poles, toone of which one end of a clothes line, designated by the nu-.

, meral 6, is fastened. To the other clothes pole, my-improved deviceconsidered as a whole and designatedby the numeral 7, is

i applied. It will, however, be apparent that this invention may be usedin connection with hooks orother' line supports appliedto build- 'ingsor other objects at elevated points thereof; also, that the clothes linemay be supported by and stretched over various supporting elements andstrung backand forth,

or in any desired direction; it'being necessary 132?. Serial No.209,011.

only that the line be stretched from supporting element to supportingelement and finally retained in taut condition at the supporting elementor point most remote from the initial point of attachment of the line.

In the drawings conventional clothes poles are shown provided withoutstanding supporting pins or attaching pins 8 'attheir upper ends, andone end of the line is provided'with a loop which is placed over one ofthe outstanding pins of one of said poles. To one of the outstandingpins of the other pole, my improved device is attached, as and in themanner to presently appear.

My improved line holder comprises an elongated line-receiving andguiding member 9, which is formed of metalllc sheet material bent intosubstantially U-formation in cross section, as best shown in Fig. 3;thus providing spaced side walls 10 of like formation connected togetherby a concavo-convex edge wall llwhich serves as an abutment for theline. 7

fPivotally secured to the side walls 10 of the receiving and guidingmember 9 near one end thereof is a line holding or locking member 12having aconvex gripping edge 13 gradually receding from the axis of itspivot 14, by means which said holding or looking member is fastened inplace. The holding or fastening member is normally disposed at an acuteangle to the receiving or guiding member 9, as indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 2, and under such conditions the gripping edge 13 is spaced asufficient distance from the curved edge wall or abutment 11 of saidreceiving or guiding member to permit free movement of the line 6between the two members of the device. o

The outer or free end of the holding or-lock ing member 12 is providedwith an opening 15, which forms an eye adapted to be placed over one ofthe out-standing pins 8 of a pole, or overa hook, nail or otherline-supporting element. 1

The gripping edge of the holding or looking member is preferablyroughened, and in the form shown has a series of line-engagingtransverse teeth 16 extending along the same.

The pivoted end of the holding or looking member, by reason of itsgripping edge receding gradually from the axis of the pivot 14 may besaid to be cam shaped or eccentric-ally formed so that upon rotatingsaid member on its pivot, the edge of the eccentric or cam shaped endwill more closely appreach the curved edge wall or abutment of thereceiving or guiding member of the device.

When the device is applied to an elevated line-supporting element, suchas the outstanding pin of a clot-hes pole, or a hook or nail secured toan object at an elevated point, that portion or end of the lineextending beyond the device is taken hold of and'the clothes line drawntaut, and during such action the tendency of the line is to force theholding or locking member into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 2 so as to provide sufiicient clearance between the two members ofthe device to allow the line to move freely between them, and as thepulling strain on the holder is directed downwardly, due to the elevatedposition of the device, the friction of the line against the grippingedge of the cam or eccentric shaped portion of the holding or lockingmember will cause rotary or swinging movement of said member so as toprovide the necessary clearance for the line to freely move between thetwo parts of the device.

\Vhen the line is drawn taut between its the gripping edge of theeccentric or cam portion of the holding or lookin member will be movedupwardly toward the curved edge wall or abutment of the receiving orguiding member 9 so as to securely grip and retain the line in taut.condition. It will be In order to apparent therefore that as the weighton the stretched portion of the line increases, the tendency of theholding or locking member is to. more firmly grip the line, thusassuring a proper securing of the line without necessity of tying thesame to the pole or other object. 7 V

prevent wear on the clothes line due to movement lengthwise, back andforth, within the line-receiving member 9, the concavo-convex edge wall11 of said member is flared outwardly at opposite ends, as at 17 and 18;the fiare18 being very decided, due to the fact that the line is causedto assume an angular formation at this point and is forcibly drawndownwardly over this fiare,.which provides a smooth rounded ridingsurface for the line; thus eliminating all sharp edges which would causewear on the line and even- I tually resultin separating it at thispoint.

The ends of the side walls 10 adjacent the flare. 18 are also flaredoutwardly, as at 19,

and in reality form continuations of the flare 18. These flares 18 and19 form a widened mouth at one end of the line-receiving member so thatthe line can be conveniently passed between the two members of thedevice.

The device need not be removed from the clothes line after being onceplaced thereon, as it is only necessary to slide it along the line whenmore or less of the line is to be used. 1

The stretching and fastening of the line by means of this device isaccomplished almost instantly, sinceafter the device is fastened inplace with the line passed between the two members of the device, it isonly necessary to grip the hanging portion of the line and pull upon thesame to draw the line taut, and immediately upon releasing the line, anautomatic clamping'efi'ect takes place between the two parts of thedevice. v i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:- a 1 1. A lineholder, comprising an elongated line-receiving member of U-formation toprovidetwo spaced side walls of like formation, a holding memberpivotally secured to the side walls of said line-receiving member andhaving a. gripping surface eccentric to its pivot and means for securingsaid holding.

member to. a support, said U-shaped line-receiving member being adaptedto have aline passed lengthwise therethrough and said holding memberbeing adapted upon movement in one direction to grip said line withinsaid line-receiving member and upon movement in an opposite directionacting to release said line. I

2. A line holder, comprising an elongated line-receiving member ofU-form'ation in cross section to provide two spaced side walls of likeformation, a holding member pivotally secured between the side walls ofsaid line-receiving member near one end thereof and extending outwardlyat an angle to said line-receiving member, the pivoted end of saidholding member being 'eccentricallyformed with respect to the pivotthereof and having a roughened line-engaging surface,

the outer end of said holding member being. I

provided with means for attachment'to a support, said members beingadaptedto have a line passed therebetween.

3; A. line holder, comprising an elongated line-receiving member ofU-formation in cross section to provide spaced side walls and aconcavo-convex edge wall serving as an abutment, a holdmgmemberpivotally secured between the side walls of said line-receivingmember near one end thereof and.

having a gripping edge gradually receding from the axis of its pivotbetweenwhichand said abutment a line to be drawn taut is adapted to bepassed, said grippingedge having a series of teeth extending along thesame,v said holding member extending outwardly from said line-receivinmember at an angle thereto and being provided With an opening at itsouter end through which a supporting element is to be passed, saidholding member being, swung in one direction upon pulling said line inone direction so as to cause the gripping edge of sald holding member toswing away from said abutment and upon releasing said line being adaptedto swing in the opposite direction to move 1 said gripping edge 1ncloser relation to said abutment and thereby clamp the line between thetwo members of the device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANTHONY HOFBAUER.

